Buckle



tlNrTnn STATES 'PATENT Trina.

LOUIS B. PRAHAR, OF BROOKLYN, Nnw YORK.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,752, dated November 14, 1893.

i g Application filed January 14, 1893. Serial No. 458,332. (No model.)

. To all whom it may concern,.-

Improvement in Buckles, of which the followv` ing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in buckles, especially to an improvement in belt buckles, and it has for its object to provide a buckle capable of being expeditiously and conveniently applied to a belt or like article, and of clamping together the ends of the article to which it is applied, holding the ends in connected position by frictional contact between the two members of which the buckle is practically composed.

A further object of the invention isv to provide a buckle simple and durable in construction and capable of being made exceedingly attactive, which buckle may be expeditiously and conveniently manipulated either to open or to close and lock it.

The invention consists in the particular construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar Iigures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective View of a belt illustrating the improved buckle as applied thereto, and illustrating the buckle in its locking or closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the belt and buckle, the ends of the belt being shown disconnected and the buckle in its open position. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the buckle and belt, the buckle be-l Fig. 4 is a front ing in its locked position. elevation of a slightly modilied form of the buckle; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the buckle shown in Fig. 4.

The buckle consists primarily of a plate 10, to which the belt A is to be secured in any suitable, approved or well known manner. The plate 10, is provided with a cross arm at top and bottom, the said arms being designated respectively as ll and 12, whereby the plate 10, is given somewhat the appearance of the letter I, and in the central portion of the plate 10 a strap and catch stud 13, is located, the stud being securely attached to the plate. The stud preferably has a ball-like head and a tapering shank, as shown best in in Fig. 3; but the head and shank of the stud may be varied if in practice it is found desirable.

The buckle is completed'by the addition to the plate 10 and the stud 13 of a cover or latch plate 14. This cover or latch plate is hinged at one end to the plate 10, the hinge being preferably located in one of the cross arms, the arm 1l, for example at the central portion thereof. The latch or cover plate 14, is adapted at its free end to engage the opposite cross arm 12 when the said cover or latch plate is broughtto its closed position, and when in this closed position the cover or latch plate will conceal the back plate 10. The cover or latch plate is provided at its central portion with an opening 15, so located that when the cover or latch plate is closed the ,stud 13, will extend outward through the opening 15 therein, and one portion of the wall of the opening will be in frictional engagement with a portion of the stud 13, the engagement being so positive as to prevent the latch or cover plate from being disconnected from the stud unless considerable pressure is exerted outwardly upon the free end of the said plate.

In the modified form of the buckle shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the free end 16 of the cover or latch plate is made segmental to engage the cross bar 12 ot' the back plate, after the latch plate has been sprung over the head of thestud 13.

It has been heretofore remarked that one end of the belt A may be attached to the back plate in any suitable or approved manner; in the drawings this attach ment is accomplished by connecting the extremities of the cross arms through the medium of bars 18, and passing the end of the belt adapted to be' secured tothe buckle through the spaces between the back plate and the bars 18 and across the rear face of the back plate; while in the free end of the belt one or more apertures 19, are produced, and when the .belt is placed in position upon the person, the cover plate being in its unlocked position, the most convenient aperture 19 is carried to the stud 13 and the stud is passed through it. The cover or latch plate is then closed down upon IOO the back plate and the two ends of the belt are held connected by means of the locking engagement between the two prime members of the buckle. It will thus be seen that the stud 13 serves not only as a means for connecting one end of the belt to the buckle, but also as a means for securing the two parts of the buckle together.

It will be observed that a buckle constructed as above set forth is not only capable of being highly ornamented,serving as adecoration of a be1t,but that the buckle may be conveniently and expeditiously manipulated to lock theftwo ends of the belt together, or to disconnect its ends; the buckle, furthermore, is not only simple in its construction, comprising but few parts, but it is also exceedingly economic.

ing adapted to be snapped over the enlarged head of the stud to frictionally engage therewith and lock the cover plate to the back plate, substantially as described.

LOUIS B. PRAT-IAR. Witnesses:

E. M. CLARK, F. W. HANAFORD. 

